Glimpse beneath the surface of others

                Okay, what I'm about to say is very important so perk up your blog reading ears and listen closely. Many people in this world (including me) are much different beneath the surface if you just take the time to look. Wouldn't we love to be searched out? For someone to take interest in us? To see who the real person is behind it all? There are times that I wish people would dig deep and see who I truly was. Who took notice of little things I liked and took interest in finding out my passions. We all would love others to glimpse at us beneath the surface of our life. So let's go deep with others.
               So. It might seem a bit strange at first doing this, but looking beyond what's given is so important. However, it also means giving up all pre-conceived ideas of the people around you. It means not believing the nasty rumors you hear about others until you get to know them enough for yourself. It means not following the "status quo". It means changing your culture. Our generation has stopped the deep and beautiful relationships that once existed and instead replaced them with "skin deep" superficial and fake friendships. (Fortunately I have been blessed with some amazing friends!) And I guess that's why my friends and I get along so well. We see each other for who we truly are. Our friendships are not merely based on outward appearances and shallow conversations, but rather something more deep founded in Christ.

"Do not hover always on the surface of things, nor take up suddenly with mere appearances; but penetrate into the depth of matters, as far as your time and circumstances allow..." ~Isaac Watts

                How did Jesus view those He met? He surely searched beneath the surface of the tax-collectors and the "unwanted" by his society. He called the widows, orphans, and little children unto himself. He didn't care what others had said, he searched the heart and knew the soul of everyone He came in contact with. That's our job. 

Do not be so shallow to miss the beauty hidden beneath the surface of a person's soul.

Searching beneath your own surface.

               So many times, we see someone for what they are on the outside and how they generally act. Our relationships with others are just "skin deep". Do we look beneath the surface? Do we search out the real person beneath all the fronts and masks? Sometimes I believe that we tend to stray away from doing this because we're afraid of what we might find. We also know that the idea of someone possibly knowing the depths of our being is far too much to risk, so why would we want to search for that in others? Here's the thing. Its important to know others for who they truly are inside and beneath the surface, yet this can only happen when you take the time to look beneath yours.
             Now, I can't fully explain to you how to examine yourself and find out who you truly are, all I know is you are who God created you to be. Some of us (not all) have masked the qualities and personality that God has given us and tried to be someone else in order to fit in with "the crowd." The world has wounded us, shoving us to the floor telling us it is worthless to try and be ourselves all the while having the approval of others. But here's the truth,

"You are the glorious image-bearer of the Lord Jesus Christ - the crown of His creation. You have been assaulted. You have fallen to your own resources. Your enemy has seized upon your wounds and your sins to pin your heart down. Now  the son of God has come to ransom you, and heal your broken, wounded, bleeding heart, and  set you free from bondage. He came for the broken-hearted captives. That's me. That's you. He came to restore the glorious creation that you are. And then set you free... to be yourself."
~From Captivating (John and Stasi Elderedge)

               That's what God put beneath our surface.. God wants to see us free from hiding. So before we move on to searching beneath the surface of others, let's get it right with ourselves first. God will heal your wounds, He'll renew you heart. So let the restoration begin.

Mystical.

               

               Mystical. Magical. Mysterious? What is enchanting? Is it the sun as it sets across the ocean? Or the moon that shines upon the sea? For some reason, I've always loved moonlit nights, misty mornings, sunsets, city lights, clear blue skies and well, anything else you'd put in that category. It just seems sometimes that God's showing off. Giving us a taste of what's to come. I don't know why, but have you ever had that feeling where you look up at the moon and you just know somewhere far away your future husband could be looking at it too and somehow in that moment... you're connected. It's probably just me, yet its warming knowing God has someone out there for me. And that too is mystical and mysterious. The idea that God knows who you'll be with in 10 years and what you'll be doing. What a mystery! He's writing the story of your life. He's turning each pages and twirling the pen through his fingertips as your life goes along. The author of all. 

             Sometimes I feel like a hopeless romantic. I just fall in love with beautiful scenery. I love seeing pictures of places that seem like they're right out a fairy-tale. It just makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. So yes, I guess you could say I'm in love with anything magical in this earth. 
            Have you ever seen the last part of the movie pride and prejudice? It reminds me of this kind of magic. There it is, a beautiful morning. The sun just rising through the hills. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darby walking through a field and meeting each other in the center. Mist swirls beneath their feet, the sun shines between them. And in one moment, they enclose for a kiss. A pure and beautiful sign of affection. (the first kiss they've shared throughout the entire movie). What makes it so beautiful is the fact that it's the kiss that seals their engagement. They have saved it for the one they'll marry. The one they love. I hope my first kiss will be that beautiful. Pure and mystical. Saved for the one I will marry. Yes, I know this world is not like a story-book fairy-tale and things don't happen quite like that. Yes, I must engage in reality, but still one can always dare to dream.

Letter from a knight...

"My dearest Jocelyn:

It is strange to think, I have not seen you in a month.
I have seen the new moon, but not you.
I have seen sunsets and sunrises, but nothing of your beautiful face.
The pieces of my broken heart can pass through the eye of a needle.
I miss you like the sun misses the flower.Like the sun misses the flower in the depths of winter.
Instead of beauty to direct its light to, the heart hardens like the frozen world your absence has sent me to.
I next compete in Paris. I'll find it empty and cold if you're not there.
Hope guides me. It gets me through the day and especially the night.The hope that after you leave my sight it will not be the last time I look upon you.
With all the love that I possess...I remain yours...

The knight of your heart.

William."


Poem from "A Knight's Tale" ^

What's love these days?

           Okay, so maybe I said that I wasn't going to write about relationships a lot, but some things have happened in the last day that make me want to address the topic just once or twice more (unless you like this... then please comment and I'll keep writing) So, anyways, yesterday I watched the movie "Valentines Day" with my sister. Its a cute film about all these different couples and their interesting day of "love". If you've ever seen the movie (I'm presuming most have...) there's one particular line that made me laugh, but still I realized how very true it was. After interviewing a high school couple on Valentines Day, a reporter makes this concluding statement,

"There you have it, folks. Young love. Full of promise, full of hope, ignorant of reality."

             Isn't that in a way kind of true? So many times we get so caught up in the promise and hope that "love" brings that we become awfully unaware of the reality... hearts still get broken. I feel like you can't watch a single movie or listen to a single song these days that doesn't have to do with romance or finding "the one" or breaking up or getting back together or ....etc. In many ways, it makes it so much harder on single girls like me. The world makes "falling in love" a god. Its so sad. And what's almost worse than that, is the fact that they degrade what love actually is. So what is love in all actuality? I thought it best defined  by this quote from Joshua Harris...

"The world takes us to a silver screen on which flickering images of passion and romance play, and as we watch, the world says, “This is love.” God takes us to the foot of a tree on which a naked and bloodied man hangs and says, “This is love."

              That is love. God's love. A love that's sacrificial. It doesn't want things, it only gives. What many don't realize is that sometimes these days relationships in high school are nothing more than personal gain. "What do I get from this?" "He makes me feel good." "I never am lonely when I am with him." "I feel beautiful around him." These are such common thoughts and statements with girls that are dating at my age. We tend to look for what we can gain from relationships, while real love is sacrificial. Its not self-seeking. Its giving up your wants and needs for another person... rather hard if you ask me. Love is patience. In Song of Solomon it states three times,

"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires"

                What does that mean? Basically its saying... wait on God's timing and don't take things into your own hands. Which is so hard for me. The world makes this kind of love look so appealing, sometimes I just want a little taste, yet God once again firmly states... WAIT. So I wait and wait and wait... and I still am waiting. But then I remember this, waiting is not doing nothing. Its seeking and searching all while God's preparing something amazing for you. Waiting is not killing the desires of your heart, which is something else I unfortunately used to do. I know you might not understand what this means, however there's a quote from this book "The Sacred Romance" that explains this better than I can.

"Anybody can look holy if she's killed her heart; the real test is to have your heart burning within you and have the patience to enjoy what there is now, while waiting with eager anticipation for the feast to come. In Paul's words, we "groan inwardly as we wait eagerly." Contentment can only happen as we increase desire, let it run itself out towards fulfillment, and carry us along with it."

       

       You see, for the longest time, I'd been trying to kill the desire of my heart for romance, but God has recently shown me that's not at all what He wants! He wants me to endure the desire and to "groan inwardly, but WAIT EAGERLY" and along the way he be right beside me helping me. Its still hard, but I always know its worth it! And that's what I encourage you to do also... wait on the Lord. He's the definition of real love these days. And one day, Lord willing, he'll bring you a man to love also, just keep waiting for the right one, the best is yet to come! 
P.S. for more on relationships and saving you heart visit A HopeFul Romantic!

Rambles About Junior Year

           Well, tomorrow I start my Junior year... the hardest academic year in a high-schooler's career. I'm surprisingly excited yet calm right now, which is weird because most kids my age are dreading this year. I think I'm just ready for excitement. My summer was much different than I thought it would be. In good and bad ways. Taking my mission trip to Haiti was amazing, returning home to hard-core spiritual warfare was not. Even so, I'm ready to hit the books and bury myself in their ever-so exciting words. Now, blog readers, I'm about to enter a whole new category never mentioned on this blog (just this one post)... relationships.
           Yes, I've kind of avoided the whole topic of high school relationships for a few reasons... however the main one  is...that well...its just too much to write in one post. I also do not have much experience in this arena. I've never dated (in fact I'm kind of proud of that!) and my love life has had about no drama. Sure there were few crushes here and there, but nothing really exciting and worth telling about. Right now God's asked me to wait. And at first, I thought waiting was sitting and doing nothing, but in all actuality, its a lot more than that. I've found before I start to date I should be quite firm in my relationship with God. So while I wait, I fall in love... with Jesus. And believe it or not, He pursues me more than any man would. He sends me kisses in the forms of rainbows and butterflies (as corny as it sounds...). He never breaks my heart and he continually shows His love for me. He's more faithful than any boyfriend, frankly He's all I'd ever need right now. I hope you know though, its ideal to be fully in love with God and not distracted by anything else, however the ideal isn't always the case.
             I also hope you don't think that I have the ideal, because I'm far from it. Unfortunately I get really caught up when the slightest thing happens with anyone of the male gender. Any tiny or subtle hint that someone may be interested in me makes me go crazy inside... I think that if I wasn't a Christian I'd probably be pretty "boy crazy". Luckily God has helped me contain all my excitement. He's doing a new work in me. I'm falling in love with Him and I know that at the right time He'll bring the right guy along. That time might not be now. So until then I'm waiting.
            Before I finish this off I'd like to let you know that I may not be posting as often since the school year is starting. I'll try to at least post once or twice a week (as opposed to every other day...). I hope you all have a good start to your school year!
P.S. I know this is a small blog and I'm hoping to have at least 10 followers by the end of this year... so... remember to share with friends :)

The Winsome Princess

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her so he will have no lack of gain."

    Don't we all long to winsome? To win someone's heart? To be treasured and cherished? To be.... lovely. Yes, to be seen as someone who captivates a room. But to first be seen as lovely must not we also love? Love is not something given for personal gain, rather love is a selfless act. Giving up yourself and your needs to fulfill another's. And that what the last point is all about. A virtuous woman Loves. She cares for her home and she gives up herself to help those around her. Her beauty is one that does not fade. She fears the Lord. For it is said, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised." What makes this virtuous beauty the soul she is?

1. She extends - She reaches out to the poor. She feeds the hungry. She is a living example of someone serving God by serving "the least of these." Proverbs 31:20 states, 

"She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy."

She has a compassionate heart. Yes, a heart that we too should strive to have for she has a heart like God's. Isn't it true that the more time the spend with someone the more you become like them? A winsome heart - one like God's, can only be developed to its true beauty by spending time with Him. So fall in love with Him and His love will radiate off you touch all those around you.

2. She's kind - She's not a gossip. Only loving words flow from her mouth. It is said that "on her tongue is the law of kindness". Unfortunately, gossip is so present with girls my age, and I must admit, I really do struggle with this also. Its so easy to start talking about someone and not even realize it. Yet in this woman of God, sweetness is the only thing that pours from her lips. I wish I had this much self-control. Its something I think we girls should all strive for. While boys work their problems out sometimes through physical fights, girls use their words to cut through one another. Even grown women sometimes struggle with this. Its time we grow up and clean up the way we talk about other people.

3. She excels - Because of her kind heart, loving spirit, and clean lips she surpasses all other women in virtue. She is seen as a leader among woman. Her husband is known for his wisdom (Proverbs 31: 23) and now she is recognized also.

"Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all."

God pointedly makes this one particular verse obvious in this chapter. So let's review, what are the characteristics this kind of woman posses?
A. She's wise (The Wise Little Princess)

• She seeks
• She considers
• She perceives

B. She's strong (The Warrior Princess)

• She stretches
• She makes
• She watches

C. She's loving (The Winsome Princess)

• She extends
• She is kind
• She excels

              Now before I finish this up, remember this. All these attributes come back a beautiful love relationship with God. These points should not be a do-list to become the "perfect" woman of God. Rather these are attributes that should appear naturally after being devoted to God. Remember - Jesus would rather have our hearts and our affection than our struggle for perfection.

The Warrior Princess

             Princesses. They're always full of such poise and fragility, yet are they warriors? Are they full of strength? As daughters of the Most High King, wouldn't we like to be princesses full of strength? For some reason I've found that "good Christian girls" are found by most people to be... sadly boring. That's not how it should be! Christian girls should not be viewed as predictable "good girls" but rather found to be surprisingly strong and enthralling! The second point of interest I found in a woman of purity (Proverbs 31) is Strength. It is said that she "girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms...strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come." I myself, am not a girl personally known for physical strength. Yet, I still wish to be viewed as strong. I want to be seen as someone who is confident in who she is, and who has a strength about her that can only be found in the Lord. What does a girl do to be so strong?
                    1. She stretches - Now I'm not talking about doing Pilates... she simply stretches herself out to those around her. It is said that "she stretches out her hands to the distaff (or womanhood), and her hand holds the spindle." Basically saying that she gives her friendship to the women she knows, and works hard with what she has. She's definitely not lazy. I know no one her probably holds a spindle or sews, but look and see this: her work is not futile or fruitless. She is helping those around her as much as she can. Using her strength to ensure that others are comfortable. She does not spread herself too thin, but stretches out her hand to the women of her community. Now before I move on to my next point know this... this strength is not her own. It comes from God alone. We in our own strength can not serve those around us to the full capacity, unless we have God's power with us. Once again, a strength that only comes through a love relationship with Him.
                  2.She makes - "She makes tapestries for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple." Purple... the color of royalty. She has made it clear she know who she is. The daughter of a King.  Do we make it known whose child we are? When people look at us can they tell by how we dress and act that we respect ourselves and the God who made us? It is also said that makes and sells clothing as her work. She is a working mother, yet not stressed. She receives back the fruit she has reaped,
" Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates."
                  3. She watches - She does not only supply herself the needs of her work, but also she watches over her home. She is like a mother bird in her nest, keeping all the small chicks warm and full. It is said that, "She watches over her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness." What did that last part say again? "She does not eat the bread of idleness". Basically saying, she does not work idly (idle = lazy). She is once again, known as a hard worker. Some of us may be asking now, "I have no family to take care of, so how does this apply to me?" If in all this you get one thing, just know this... do not be lazy. In schoolwork or even in your devotional life. Do not become tired of following God. It should be an adventure, a journey,  so embrace the paths He's leading you on and don't become idle along the way. Yes, there will be times when the paths are hard or the way is dry and in a way boring, but even in those times embrace God's love and His ways. Take hold to his truths. A warrior princess is never lazy.

The Wise Little Princess

           So when reading through Proverbs 31 the first characteristic I found present in this virtuous woman was Wisdom. It is said, "she opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness." She searches out what was best for her family, but what really makes her a woman of such understanding?

               1. She seeks - She does not simply let things come to her, she seeks them out. It is said that "she seeks out wool and flax and willingly works with her hands." She pursues and looks for the best for her family. Now most of us here still have not gotten married or had a family so how does this apply to us? We need to focus on her characteristic of persistent searching. Is that how we deal with our relationship with God? I know that seeking God is one of the hardest things for me. I get caught up in the routine of doing devotions rather than being devoted. I sometimes just read my chapters for the day and don't think about it after that. But God calls us to dive into his word and seek out truth! It should not be a repetitive thing on our "to-do" list, but rather something we do because we want to know more about God. Something we do because we want to further our relationship with Him. We want to fall in love with Him.

              2. She considers - She also does not simply settle for the the first thing she seeks out, she considers it also. She uses the wisdom God has given her to decide what is best. It is said that "she considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard." Without weighing her options before-hand she may have not gained extra profits. Now I also don't see any of us buying a field or vineyard anytime soon, yet once again we look to what causes her to do these kind of things. She meditates and studies. Do we use these methods when seeking God? Do we consider the words we read. Maybe we have taken the first step and sought out God's word, but now this is the process of taking it all in. Studying and burying ourselves in God's beautiful words. Reveling in the beauty of God's love. 

              3. She perceives - Now after all is sought and considered, she perceives it is attainable. She discerns and recognizes what is right and beautiful in God's sight. It is said that "she perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night." Because she is wise, her goods are taken care of and her light does not die. She replenishes its lamp's oil. She is not lazy, yet understands the potential. We also don't have to worry about keeping our lamps lit during the night, but we learn here that a wise little princess is never lazy. She knows what is right and therefore does it. She loves God so much she discerns and decides to do what He loves.

Me... a princess?

            Now, obviously I'm not the princess of England or France, but I am the daughter of a King higher than those of this world. The Ruler of all. But do I, as a daughter of this King, act like a princess? Am I preparing myself for my future prince? We have all gone through that stage in life where we have longed to be princesses. We dressed up in our bright twirling gowns, put on our plastic jewelry, and hoped that we would be won over by a handsome young knight. We had those fantasies as little girls. But now we've grown older. We still want our hearts to be won over by the knight in shining armor, but we also know that life isn't always fairy-tales and "happily, ever, afters". We have our hearts crushed, our trust broken, and it now never seems as easy as it once did. Yet God redeems. He has given back our wasted years and replaced our brokenness with incomparable beauty. He has written for us a love story that began with His son dying for us and ends with us sharing His love in heaven. He gave us a happily ever after. He won our hearts with his love and saved us from the captivity of our sin. He has called us beautiful. In Psalm 45:11 (Message) it says,

"Now listen, daughter, don't miss a word: forget your country, put your home behind you. Be here—the King is wild for you. Since He's your Lord, adore Him."

        

           God's in love with us, are we in love with Him? Do we want to be the virtuous woman, the pure and dazzling princess, He's created us to be? Yesterday I read through Proverbs 31. Yes, its the chapter that all purity books point you to telling you what to do and how to do it. Unfortunately we are sometimes so caught up in trying to be the perfect woman of God and we spread ourselves way too thin. We become tired. And that's the sad truth. Most Christian women today are... tired. Exhausted from continually trying to be that perfect "Proverbs 31" and "virtuous" woman. We continually feel like we're "too much" or "not enough". What I'm going touch on, in coming posts, are the 3 main qualities I see in this chapter that yes, we should strive for, but also should come naturally when we fear the Lord and fall in love with Him. When we are romanced by Jesus, all the weariness from striving to be perfect (an impossible goal) will disappear, loving Him will become natural.
            Do you remember the story of Mary and Martha? Jesus comes to visit and Martha is so worried and distracted about making sure everything is perfect and that Jesus is comfortable, while Mary plainly sits by Jesus' feet and listen to His stories. She simply basks in His presence and receives His words. Below is the story.

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

   ⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴²but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

         I pray that we women of Christ can learn that Jesus would rather have our hearts and our affection than our struggle for perfection. Join the journey.

Vintage Clothes

         Now, this isn't a fashion blog, but since I've been into the whole oldies music lately I thought I might as well another article about things that seem to have a "vintage" feel to them. So here I go.  P.S. all these oufits are put together on shopruche.com in their "Unending Love" catalog. This one seems to be based off the Notebook. (P.S.S. for more about fashion in olden days or 1940's era check out this blog 1940's darling... made by one of my followers who absolutely seems to have a heart for vintage)

Picnic Wear (shopruche.com)

        

Picnic wear: I absolutely love this combination! The white bowed shirt is paired with a floral skirt, and a tan cardigan to tie it all together. Its so classic, something I could almost see myself pulling out of the closet. Out of all the outfits below this is one of my favorites. Its got that "timeless" feel yet a modern twist. Absolutely charming.

Boating attire: Stunning. A lemon/cream-colored ruffled dress and bronze bowed belt all complimented with a light pink flower. Once again, an endless classic. Very feminine, I honestly love the ruffles, but that's just me.

Boating Attire (shopruche.com)

Lacey beauty: Absolutely archaic. Lacey off-white dress + red flowered hair band = breathless undertaking. I absolutely love this, but I must admit if I owned such a "classical number" I don't know where I'd wear it. Maybe to the park or out for a shopping day.

Lacey Beauty (shopruche.com)

Baby's Breath Blue Dress (shopruche.com)

Baby's Breath Blue Dress: Very light on the eyes, Light blue lacey dress with a a light pink ribbon around the waist to form more of an hour-glass shape. I love it. It reminds me of the dress Wendy wears in Peter Pan, but of course with a more modern twist. Very smart piece... easy to dress up or down.

Exploration Apparel: Peach flowery cardigan, tan lacey dress, and navy blue flats. Classy with a modern twist.

Another one I wish I had in my closet. 

Exploration Apparel (shopruche.com)

Flower Girl (shopruche.com)

Flower Girl: Sunny straw hat, floral lightly fitted blouse and long cream skirt - all convey a  feminine beauty. I love this mid-length sleeve on the top and the longer skirt. It seems modest, good for a cooler summer day.

Garden Garments: Colorful floral/summer dress with a touch of lace and floppy hat, something I wish I had the guts to pull off. I honestly yearn for a dress like this one. Its absolutely enthralling. Simple, yet classic, timeless, and most of all....a touch of vintage.

Garden Garments (shopruche.com)